Spring!

The vernal equinox is upon us, get out your shorts!

Or not...last I checked we still had 23 inches of snowpack, but the March sun is definitely melting it every day.  So...welcome, mud season.  

Somehow my plow guy managed to miss half of my driveway, so I've had to drive on what is essentially lawn, and it hasn't been fun.  My driveway is to the right, under that solid berm of snow.

I've had to close the driveway and only drive on it when it's frozen, first thing in the morning.  Yesterday I managed to attack it with my snowblower and opened up another two feet.  I only blew two shear pins, which was amazing.  Thankfully I learned quickly that with gravel driveways, you'd better have a big ol' bag of shear pins on hand.  

The red winged blackbirds are back, and it's so nice to hear their music.  I've actually seen two turkey vultures in the past few weeks, which is super early for them.  I wonder if they know something we don't.  Judging from the last storm we had, spring doesn't feel like it's nigh.

Five days later and that pile against the barn has melted enough that the hay room window is almost completely visible, and at the front of the house my little garden is nearly melted.  There are hyacinth and tulips poking up through the soil, despite the cold.

We've also been visited by a fox, which has been very exciting.  It's hunting the squirrels that congregate in the pasture, where I feed the crows.  Since part of the crow food is soaked cat kibble, the fox has helped itself to that, too.  

And as for the crows, they seem to have recruited a third member to their murder.

There's plenty to go around, so it's all good.